Dirt tray for air filters



Y Sept. 23, 1952 c, R. TAYLOR DIRT TRAY FOR AIR FILTERS Filed Aug. 6.1947 Patented Sept. 23, y 1952 f charles-n. Taylor, seottcityrnansrf 4 fApplicaubnnugusts, 1941,'smiainc. vtcjcrL l comms', (01.,.183-151fivy'presentinvention directed to Aan improvement fork air cleanerdevices, andy moregparticnlarlyi is directed to `-a device forfacilitatin'g.,.

removal of dirt which Vcollects Vin air cleaners.

This device is designed to be used with aircleanersnow on -the marketand also in 'conjunction with lother devices wherein dirt is collectedand" mustbe removedperiodica'lly. v l v In air cleanersvnow on 'themarlretan'A oilcup is provided which contains a volume oi" oii throughwhich the air must pass. 'before entry into theexhaust passage ofthecleaner. 4As the ,air passes 'through the oil, particles or .dirtarevtalsienffrom the and with time precipitate to the bottom of the .oilcup. I'In most devices now- -on the market, oil cup .is removable andthe dirt emptiedperiodically. It has been the experience of, theapplicantas Wel-las yothersthat where ifnese flne'pa'rticles of dirtarev collectedy in lthe 20 V`oil and' permitted' toprecpitate foranygpriod of time, the particles form asolid layer in thebottom oflthis-.oil cup which makes removal of it from thel bottom of the Yoilcup very difficult, due to its packed condition and -its'inaccessibleposition. Therefore, to .eliminate this difficulty, it is `an i objectof this invention to provide a removable i tray adapted to be seated inthe bottom of the oil cup on which the dirt may collect.

It is afurther object of the invention to provide a dirt tray havingmeans which enable fthe operfator vto remove the dirt withoutthenecessity of working'below the level of .theoiiin the cup..

It is afurther object of theinvention toprovide .a -dirt tray which isprovided. lwith meansy for loosening a compressed layer of dirtwithfacility.Y It is a further object of the invention to provide a traywhich is designed to remove particles which adhere to the sides of theoil cup as Well as the dirt which collects on the tray floor.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device which isadapted to be installed in air cleaners now on the market Without changeof` design or installation of additional parts.

These and other objects will be obvious upon reading of the followingdescription and reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

' Figure 1 is an elevational view of an air filter with the Wall of theair cleaner broken away to" disclose the dirt tray; v

Figure 2 is a sectional View of theair iilter with the dirt trayinstalled therein, taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front view of a finger for aiding inthe removal ofcollected dirtV in the lter, takerij.;l

along the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

iin Figure lhave'shown one type oflatteradapted- 'to be l'securedta'h'eusing it: jby'lfa friction lit; as shown aft 8; whereinanp-portion "'if'i'is'iormed around the periphery of' oil-cup andVadapted to t-over'fthe bottom ofhousing'fl. Inthis type of 4aircleaner, aperturesAorinletsll 'fin- 'the'v side 'Walls 5 of yhousing il"are-provided permit air ito bedrawn intol 'the fair cleaner 2LAirinsigde` housing llll is provided' andt ihoi-ising'd tinto twopassage-s* and ililfthese 'passages 16 land I8 permittingfairtoftrave'lin diierent directions. `inpassages' It and 118i `tirate-:-riaisuch assteelfwool 2li-fis providedto remove vforeign particles inthe Vair-before 'passageof the air through exhaust outlet 2 2.4r *jksimilar con; struction is lfound in oil'A cup "t A vvirereir-r an innerhousingffi i-sjprovided'asan extension ;pf' in er vided in the wallso'fhonsingii'to Dermitlpa'ss'age of the air from the outer' passage v2/8poroil lcup 6 into the passage 30 of .housing `2li. y Avolume Vof oil`,shown generally at 32, "is added to: thefoil cup B so asto coverl Y atl'least a portion cfm-the apertures' '265 heretofore referred to. 'ggByy'this v'arrangement,fp'assage of air'throughapertures '2E intoV passage'3B causes theo'il vto be 'bubbled "and "the foam formed 'thereby iscarried up into `.the steel wool or otherfmaterial 20 in passage .I 8,

thereby increasingthe yeiliciency off Athe ysteel wool 2D 'in 'passagevI 8 `lin `remet/"ing the particlestinthe aircarriedtherethrough. y yWith continuedpa'ssage of air"throughfthe cleaner 2; heretoforedescribed, aqsigniiicant "amount of dirt and otherparti'c'lescarriedjin. the 'air is deposited .on .the 'bottomof the oil-cup E atthebottom of passages 2'8 and 30. In addition. a signicant amount of theseimpurities is removed by the oil-covered steel wool or other material 20provided in passage I8. These particles, collected on the oil-coveredmaterial 20, with continued use of the filter, are Washed by the foamingoil ott' of the steel wool or other material 20, and iind their way tothe bottom of the oil cup 6, as heretofore described. Since theseparticles are necessarily of a ne nature, in that they are y carried inthe air, upon reaching the bottom of theoil cup 6 they become a solidlayer, and are very diflicult to remove.

To accomplish their removal, the applicant has provided dirt trays 34and 36 which have oor portions 38 and 40, respectively, which conform tothe contour of the bottom of the oil cup y6 and handle portions 42 and 44, respectively, to facilitate removal of the floor portions 38 and 40.

'vides 3 These trays are formed with upturned marginal portions or lips46 and 48, respectively, which serve to remove dirt which collects onthe inner walls of oil cup 6 and the inner Walls of housing 24. While Ihave shown in Figure 1 the two trays each having its own handle, in someforms of air cleaners it would be possible to connect these handles topermit removal of both trays simultaneously by the use of these handles.Afterremovalof these trays,it has'benfound by experience that particlesremoved fromv the air by the filter and deposited on these trays are sotightly packed as to make diflicult the removalj of the particles fromthe trays. In order tovfaciliv reference to only one of them willsuffice for purposesfof description. Fingeror spring arm `Sil iscomprised of a strip of sheetrnetal-'or the, like having an arcuateconfigurationto conform substantially with the radius of the` oil cup 6..Ad-

jacentone end 55, it is secured to the tray, porf' tion 33l by means ofrivets 58,-its other end portion 60 being upturned relative tothetrayportion 38 to provide a. tab which will protrude above dirt that iscollected on the tray and thereby permit `the operator to grip thisupturned portion 60. Since the spring arm 50 is anchored onlyY at end55, the operatoris able-to Aurge spring arm 50 upwardly relative to thetray portion 38, thereby loosening the tightly packed mass oflparticles. The tray is ,then shaken, and the loosened mass emptied from'the tray floor 38. 'l

It is vapparent that many variations vof this invention may be madewithoutA departing, from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore'lvdo not intend to be limited except as I have-indicated lin the appendedclaims. l.

I claim: y Y, v 1.In lan air filter structure having a cup forcollecting filtered. particles, a' removablev tray comprising a iioorportion, handle means, said handlemeans extending from said fioorportionfacilitate removal of said tray, and spring means mounted on'said floorportion and adapted to be flexed relative ,to said fioor portion tofacili.- tate removal of particles from said floor portion.

, 2. .In an air filter structure having a` cupfor collecting filteredparticles, al removable tray comprising a floor portion and springfm'eans mounted on said floor portionand adapted to be flexed relativeto said floor portion to facilitate removal of particles from said fioorportion.

3. In an air filter Vstructure havingA a cup for Acollecting filteredparticles,"a removable tray comprisingl a'oor portion, and a' piece offlexible material, one end of said piece of flexible ma- 'ifterial beingattached to said fioor portion, the other endof said piece of flexiblematerial being tate the removal of these particles from the traysturned'V upwardly away from said floor portion,

34 and 36 after their removal from oil 'cupi-,MI provide fingers orspring arms 50 and 52, and 54,- and 56 for trays 34 and 36,respectively. Since all of these fingers operate in a similar fashion;

said ,other end being adapted to be grasped to 7fiexsaid pieceofnflexible material relative to said "floor' portion to 'facilitateremoval of particles from said floor portion.

5. In an air filter structure having a cup for collecting filteredparticles, a circularly shaped and removable tray'comprising'afioor`portion, andapiece of flexible material curved to conformgenerallywith the circular shape of said floor portion,l one end of'saidpiece being attached to said floor portion, the'otherend of said piecebeing turned upwardlyaway. from said floorportion whereby to form agripping means to facilivtate flexing ofsaid piece to aid in removal ofparticlesfrom said floor portion.

"6. In an air filter structure'havin'g a cup for collecting filteredparticles, ajcircularly shaped and removable tray comprising a fioorportion, handle means attached to said floor portion, and av pieceofflexiblematerial curved to conform generally with the circular shape of'said floor portion, one end of said piece being attached to said floorportion, the other end of said piece being turnedupwardly away from saidfioor portion whereby to form a grippingmeans to facilitateflexing ofsaid piece to aid in removalof particles 'from said floorv portion. l I

` CHARLESR. TAYLOR.

-j REE artisticas 'CITED The following lreferences are of record in thefile of v this patentI UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,220,641''Kent Mar. 27,11917 1,516,8'5'( "'.Kaveney Nov. 25, 1924 2,021,524#Sondburg Nov. 19, 1935 2,251,789 Hallerberg Aug. 5, 1941 2,273,210`Lowther etal V Feb. 17, 1942 '2,393,660

Seben; Jan. 29, 1946

